Before pickup day
A calm first week starts before your puppy arrives. Set up a crate in the room where you sleep, pick a potty spot outside, and puppy-proof the rooms your pup will use. Our new puppy checklist lists everything to have ready.
Book a wellness visit with your vet for the first few days home, and decide as a family who handles feeding, potty breaks and nighttime wake-ups. Consistency is the kindest thing you can give a new puppy.
The ride home
Bring a crate or secure carrier, towels, a leash and collar, and a roll of paper towels. Some puppies get carsick on their first ride, so skip a big meal right before you leave. If the drive is long, plan short breaks, but keep your puppy away from rest-stop grass where unvaccinated dogs may have been.
Every Archer Lodge puppy goes home with a toy and a blanket that smells like their litter. Put the blanket in the crate for the trip. That familiar scent helps more than you'd think.
Day one: keep it quiet
It's tempting to invite everyone over to meet the new puppy. Resist for a few days. Your puppy has just left their mother and littermates, and a quiet house helps them settle.
- Take your puppy straight to their potty spot when you arrive, and praise them when they go.
- Let them explore one or two rooms at their own pace.
- Offer water and a small meal of the food they're used to.
- Keep play sessions short, followed by naps. Puppies sleep 18 hours a day or more.
The first night
Most puppies cry the first night or two. That's normal. They're used to sleeping in a warm pile of siblings.
- Place the crate right beside your bed so your puppy can hear and smell you.
- Put their litter blanket inside.
- Take them out for a quiet potty break right before bed.
- Expect one or two wake-ups. Carry your puppy out, let them go, then back to the crate with no play.
Calm, boring reassurance works best. Within a few nights, most puppies sleep much longer stretches. We walk through this in detail in our guide to crate and potty training.
Feeding
Keep your puppy on the same food they've been eating for at least the first week or two. Changing food, homes and routines all at once is a recipe for an upset stomach. If you want to switch later, mix the new food in gradually over about a week. Ask us at pickup and we'll tell you exactly what and how often your puppy has been eating.
Feed at the same times every day and take your puppy outside right after each meal.
Potty breaks
Young puppies need to go out often: after waking, after eating, after playing and every hour or two while they're awake. Always go to the same spot and use the same word. Praise and a treat the moment they finish will teach faster than anything else.
Accidents will happen. Clean them with an enzyme cleaner and don't scold. Just get outside more often.
The first vet visit
Take your puppy's paperwork to the first appointment, including their shot and deworming records. Your vet will do a wellness check, plan the rest of the vaccine series and talk about parasite prevention. Register the microchip in your name the same week.
Days three to seven: building routine
By midweek, most puppies are settling in. Now's the time to start gentle training:
- Teach their name with treats and praise.
- Practice short crate sessions during the day, not just at night.
- Handle paws, ears and mouth gently, so vet visits and grooming are easy later.
- Introduce household sounds, like the vacuum or doorbell, from a distance.
Keep sessions to a few minutes. Labs are eager to please, but puppy attention spans are short.
Kids and the new puppy
Our puppies grow up around children, so they're used to little voices and hands. Still, set simple rules: sit on the floor to hold the puppy, no picking up while standing, and let a sleeping puppy sleep. Supervise every interaction in the first weeks. Our guide on whether English Labs are good family dogs has more tips.
Other pets
Introduce resident dogs on neutral ground if possible, with both on leash, and keep first meetings short. Give your older dog space to retreat. With cats, let your puppy watch from a crate or behind a gate before face-to-face meetings.
What's normal and what's not
Normal: lots of sleep, some whining, a few accidents, a softer stool for a day or two after the move, and the occasional zoomies.
Call your vet if your puppy stops eating, has repeated vomiting or diarrhea, seems lethargic, or has trouble breathing. Trust your instincts. You know your puppy best, even after only a few days.
We're a phone call away
Every family has questions in the first week, and we want to hear them. Call or text (919) 899-8917 anytime. We stay a phone call away for the rest of your dog's life. If you haven't brought your puppy home yet, see who's ready on our available puppies page or contact us to get started.